Reciprocating mechanism for windshield cleaners and the like



Feb'. 16 1926. 1,573,541

J. DEMAND RECIPROCATINGMECHANISM FOR wINDsHELD cLEArfERs AND THELIKE' Filed Feb. 25, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 16 1926.

' J. DEMAND A RncIPnocA'rmG mscHANISM Fon WINDSHIELD CLEANERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25'; 1921 2 shuts-snm' a" l v. l n. RN

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Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOSEPH DEMAND, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T' ALL CLEAR vWINDSHIELDS, INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

lRECIIE'ROC'ATING- MECHANISM FOR WINDSHIELD CLEANERS AND THE LIKE.

Application led February 23, 1921. Serial No. 447,070.

y To all whom t may concern:

This invention relates to reciprocating'- mechanism for windshield cleaners and other devices to which it is desired to `impart a reciprocating motion an'd is partlcularly adapted for use on motor vehicles. It is in the nature of an improvement upon my prior invention disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,370,684, reissued April 11, 1922, No.. 15,331. The invention herein disclosed diiers from that of my above-mentioned prior application, in that the guideway for the wiper carrier, the cylinder for the driving pistonthe. movement transmitting mechanism, valves and valve shifting mechanism, are all united in a compact self-contained structure with the guideway. and cylinder inlelose side-'byside relation, so that the device may be readily applied as a unit to a windshield irrespective of its size.

The present invention also provides means whereby, in extremely stormy weather, the length of stroke of the wiper may be limited, so that a relatively small area ofthe windshield, immediately in front of the drivers position7 may lbe. kept thoroughly clear of snow,*moisture, or lother means of obstructl ing vision.v By thus limiting the length of stroke of the'wiper itis enabled to traverse the area to be cleaned more frequently, thereby preventing any material accumulation of frost'or moisture between successive strokes. ln less severe weather, the stroke of the wiper may be increased, thereby ai"- fording a relatively larger area of clear windshield surface. My present invention also differs from that disclosed in my aforesaid-prior applicai tion. in that the valvesl which control the fluid operated motor for the wiper are all assembled in a single valve chest and are further provided with a single operating mechanism which is of the quick throw or snap switch type. By using such mechanism as a means forecontrolling the valves, there is always a tendency von th'epart of the valve operating mechanism to throw the valves to their limit of movement in one direction or the other, thus preventing the mechanism from coming to restwith all valves open, in which case the mechanism w-ould remain dead, since there would be no tendency for the motor to drive the windshield in either direction.

Although a piston and cylinder have been herein illustrated as the means for driving the wiper, certain features of the invention are in no manner limited to that particular form of driving means but might be used in connection with a reversible fluid operated motor of any appropriate type.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a view of part of an automobile body and hood, showing in end view a windshield with the improved windshield cleaner applied'thereto. l C

Fig. 2 is a lfront view of the windshield and applied windshield cleaner.

Fig. 3 is a view in section on a large scale, taken on the line 3-3fof Fig. 2,'look ingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4. is a view of the cleaner as lseen from the rear', certain parts being indicated in section andthe cover plates of the carrier guideway and pipe duct .being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a View of the cleaner as seen from below, certain parts being indicated as broken away and others indicated in section.

Fig. 6 is a view insection through the line 6 6 of Fig. -3, looking in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a chest.

Fig. 8 is aviewl in section along the linel .rear face view of the valve 9-9 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows, the valves being omitted.

Fig. 10 is a rear face View of a portion of the windshield cleaner, illustrating the coverl plates for the guidewayv and pipe duct in place..

Fig. 11 is a view in section along the line l 11-11of Fig. 6, looking in thedirection of f the arrows.

Fig. 12 is a section aiong the une 1er-1e o' Fig. fl, looking in the direction of the arrows Referring first toV Figs. l and 2, the winch shield cleaner is illustrated as applied to a Windshield comprising upper and lower sashes 20, 2l pivoled at 22, 23 to stanchions 2smounted in an automobile body 25.

The cleaner, as herein disclosed, comprises a vertical Wiper 26 extending downwardly from acarrier 2T mounted for reciprocal-ion in a cliannel-shapedguideivay 28 and connected for movement with a piston 29 (Fig. Ll), mounted for reciprocution Within a cylinder 3G (Figs. 2 and Zl). The guideway 2S and 4cylinder 30 are mounted in close sidebyrside relation and supported by brackets 3l, Which may be detachably secured to the upper sash of the Windshield by means of clai'nping` screws or other appropriate ,tastening devices 320 Although herein disclosed as applied to the upper sash of a 'tivo-sash, Windshield, it will be apparent that theinvention might be applied to both sashes of the'vvindshield or to Windshields of types other than that herein disclosed, by suitably modifying the means of attachmente The piston 29 (Fig. Ll) may be connected with the Wiper carrier 27 by means of flexible bands`33 each connected at one end with saidy piston by a suitable fastening device 34.- and extending thence through an opening; in the end of the cylinder, to and about pulleys 36 mounted in one of a pair of pullcy boxes 37, thence through the guideway 28 to one side of the carrier 27. @ne end or each band 33 may be adjustably secured to the carrier 2'? by being' introduced between the Walls of a slot 38 and held in place by a set screw or other fastening device 39.

The pulley boxes 37 are secured to the end brackets 31 by screws e0 or other suitable fastening devices, gaskets il being inserted between the bases of the pulley boxes and said brackets to render the pniley boxes air tight, for reasons which will subsequently appear.,

The piston may be` reciprocated in the cylinder by any appropriate medium, as for example, by introducing air -under pressure to one end of the cylinder, or .by reducing the pressure in the other end.

As herein disclosed, advantage is taken of the partial vacuum which is maintained in the intake manifold 4-2 Fig, l) olf the motor.

To this end pipe of small diameter 43 is tapped at one end into the intale manifold and from. thence leads to a point of the automobile body near one end or the Wind' shield. This pipe i3 may be controlled by a valve l-fl, having a bend wheel 45 located at a convenient point for operation byy the driver. From this point the connection with the` Windshield cleaner may be completen' by means of rubber tubing 4G (Figs. l and 2), which, may be carried up along the stanchion of the Windshield cleaner to a nipple i7 on a valve chest 48 (Figs. 2, l, b and 7), from which interchangeable may be established with the opposite ends of the cylinder 30, by means hereinafter described.. l

rlhe valve chest e8 may be secured to the face of the guide or channel 28 at a point near one end of the cleaner, as indicated in Fig. 2. 'lhis valve chest and the enclosed valves and operating mechanism comprise means for' controlling connections between the ends ot the cylinder and points of diiierent fluid pressure, and include means for reversing said pressure so as to alternately change the resultant pressure on the piston, and thereby cause it to intermittently move in opposite directions.

ln the speciiic embodiment herein disclosed, Whenever the valve Hll-l is opened, one end of the cylinder is connected by the valves in the valve chest i8 With the intake manifold 42, and the other end is connected with the atmosphere.

More specifically stated, the valve chest may comprise two sets of valve chambers ALS), 50, 51, and 49 50", 5l', A common entrance port 52 leads from the nipple l? to and connects With the chambers and 50'., Valve disks 53, 5a and 53', 54 are connected in pairs by valve stems 55,

By mechanism hereinafterl to be described, these valves are always sopositioned that the valve disk 54- is separated from itsseat when the valve disk 53 is seated, and vice versa. The valve disk 53 is likewise separated from its seat when the valve disk 5l is seated. Moreover, .the controlling mechanism for these valves is such that the valve 53 is always closed when the valve 53 is opened, and valve 5l closed when the valve 54 is opened.

The chambers 49, el?, when their corresponding valve disks are removed from their seats, are opened to atmospheric pressure, 'whereas the chambers 50, 50 are connected by means of the port 52, tubing 46, etc., with the intake manifold of the motor, as hereinbefore described, so ,as to be materially below atmospheric pressure. n

The chambers 51, 5l', above their valve seats, have openings 5G and 5G (Fig. 7) extending into grooves 5T and 57', in the face of the valve chest, and said connected by openings 58 58 chambers 459, e9", respectively.

Leading from the grooves 57, 57 are branch grooves 59, 59' terminating under the ends 60, 60 (Fig. 4) of pipes 6l, 6l which TOO JGS are extend in opposite directions through a pipe duct or channel 62 and terminate in open ings G3, 63 leading into the pulley boxes 3T',

The pipes 61 and 6l .may be made of brass or other appropriate material having connections with the loo their ends brazed or otherwise secured to the openings in the brackets 31 and in the base ofthe pipe channel, respectively.

' (Fig. 11) having slots therein conforming with the grooves or channels 57,

or 59 and 59 being inserted between the valvel chest and the surface to which Iit issecured, 'to render the conduits formed bysaid grooves, fluid tight.

With the valves in the positions indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, atmospheric pressure is admitted to chamber 49, thence passes through opening 58, groove 57, `branch 59, pipe 61- (Fig. 4), pulley box 37, opening y35, kto the" right end of the cylinder. At the same timey the suction of the manifold is communicated by means of pipe 43, tubing 46, port 52', chamber 50', opening 56', groove 59, pipe 61` (Fig. 4), and the left end the left end of the cylinder. l.

With the. valves in the positions indicated therefore, the pressure'on'the right lside the piston will be greater than-the pressure on the left side, and the piston will caused to move to theleft. This motion will be transmitted by means of the bands 33 to the wiper, carrier which will be moved to the right.

By means hereinafter to be described,

however, the valves illustrated in Figs. 6

and'7," willV subsequently be moved to` their alternate positions, in which chamber 49 will be opened to atmospheric pressure, and the suction from the manifold will be communicated from chamber 50 to chamber 51. The atmospheric pressure and suction of the manifold will thus be communicated by connections\vhich may be readily traced with the opposite ends of the piston, whereby it will be caused to move in the opposite direction and thus reverse the direction of movement ofI the carrier. Y

lt will be observed, that with the valves in the 'positions indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 the manifold suction Within the chamber 50 will have a tendency to hold the valve disk against its seat. This tendency will be augmented by the atmospheric'l pressureA which will at the same time be admittedto the opposite side of said valve diskfrom the chamber 49 through opening 58, ygroove 57 and opening`56 to chamber 51. It will also be observed that the valve disk 54 will beheld against its seat by atmospheric pressure, the suction of the manifold being edective at the same time upon the opposite face of the valve to which it is communicated from the port 52 by Way of the chamber 50',

chamber 51', opening 56', groove 57, opening 58. to chamber 49. For this reason, the

difference of pressure of the fluid controlled by the valves will always have a tendency to pulley box lto h'old them in either. position to which they have been moved. v 4

To prevent leakage at the point where the bands 33 enter the guideway 28, there are provided chambers 64 forming stuffing boxes .in the ends of said guideway, said stuiing boxes vbeing filled with absorbent material, s uch as cotton, saturated with oil, or'any other suitable material. l

The operating mechanism for the valves comprises a shifter bar 65 slidably mounte.r in the bottom of the guideway by means of pins 66 passing through slots `67, the shifter bar having lu` s 68 (Fig. 5) projecting from its under sur ace to reduce the friction between the shifter bar and floor of the guide- 78%. v he shifter' bar is provided with adjustable stops 69 normally held in engaging relation with notches 70 in the shifter bar by means of springs 71.

A suitable thumb piece 72 1s riveted or-'otherwise secured to each of the stops 69, whereby it `may be Araised against the effort of its spring 71 and the heads of the pins 66. The stops 69, will also freely move over the heads of the pins 66, when `lifted out of thenotches 70, for t-he purpose of adjusting the same.

The shifter `bar 65 is provided at its right end- (Fig. 4) with a pin 74 projecting through a slot 75 in the floor of the guide- Way and engaging a slot-vin an arm 76 (Fig. 4) secured to arock shaft 77 which is in turn'fast to a rock bar 78 having pin-andslot connections 7 9, 79 with -the ends of the valve stems 55, 55.

` The rock shaft 77 may be supported in bearing members 77', 7 7 (Fig. 8), one extendinfr from the guideway 28 and the other extending from and forming part of thev K tov the right, as alreadyvexplained, until the wiper' carrier engages the right-hand stop 69, after which the shifter bar Willbe moved with the carrier, thereby turning'the rock shaft 7 7 and its connected arm 7 8 and causing the positions Iof the valves to be reversed. This Willmresult in a reversal of the resultant pressure upon the piston which will be vcaused to move tovv the right, and which, in turn, will cause the Wi er carrier to be moved vtothe left until it 1s brought into engagementwith the left-hand stop 69, thereby 'again reversing the valves so as. to 1cafuse the piston to again move .towards the leo In order that there may be no possibility of the piston and wiper carriercoming to rest with all of the valves open, mechanism isprovided whereby,'on movement of .the

5 arm 7 G slightly beyond its ,midway position,

it will be automatically and positively carried to the limit of its movement, thereby suddenly reversingthe positionsof the valves. This mechanism, as illustrated in Figs. 6,'7 and 8, com rises an expansible struty 80 having one en engaged in a notch 81 in a recessed portion of the valve chest, and-the other end engaged in a notch 82 in a short arm. of the rock bar 78. The expansible strut 80 comprises telescoping parts constantly'jurgcd in opposite directions by a spring 83,.,.whereby, on movement of the rock bar slightly more than half way. in

either direction, the strut is caused to'pass through a dead center relation with respect to the short arm of said rock bar and cause the same to be carried to the limit of its movement in the same direction. f

lllie slots of the pin and slot connections between the shifter bai G5 and arm 7 6, and between the rock bar 78 an l valve stems 79,-79, are larger than the pins, so as to provide sutlicient lost motion to permit the spring 83 to be cocked by movement of the arm 76 during the first part of its stroke before the valves begin to move, and to permit the arm to complete its stroke and slidvdenly reverse the valves ahead of the final movement of the shifter bar.

The windshield wiper 26 may comprise a strip 84 of rubber or other suitable material mounted in a channel-shaped holder 85 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5), which may be secured by means of a nut 86 and lock nut 87 vto the wiper carrier.

The cliannel-sliaped guideway and ad-A joining pipe channel may be closed by means of cover plates 88, 89, (Fig. 10) secured by means of screws 90 or other appropriate fastening means, to lugs or bosses projecting from the walls of the guideway and pipe channel.

As illustrated in Fig. l0, the cover plates are of such forni as tocompletely cover the stuiing boxes 6% at lthe end s of the guideway, at the saine time leaving a slot .91 to provide for free endwise movement of the wiper carrier 27 and stops 69.

In assembling the device, tlie bands 33 may first be secured to the wiper carrier, and the carrier and stops placed in their proper positions with respect tothe guideway and shifter bar, after which the plates 88 and '89 may be 'moved into engagement with the( notches in the sides ofthe carrier and stops from opposite directions and screwed into place.` Y

As a simple means of constructing the valve chest it may be die-cast from suitable soft metal, the sets of valve chambers 49, 50,

51 and49, 50, 51', being cored completely. through the same, and the ends subsequently closed by plugs 92, as indicated in Fig. 6. The making of the iiuid conduits 57, 57 and 59, 59', in the form of grooves in the surface of the valve chest, alsofacilitates this simple method of construction. `The valve chest may be secured to the face of the channel guideway by means of screws 93 (Fig. 3), or other suitable fastening devices.

Ordinarily, thestops 69 may be engaged with the eiid pairs of notches 70 in the shifter bar, in which case the Wiper will be carried from end to end of the guideway. and keep substantially the whole length of the windshield free from fost or moisture. v

In extremely i stormy weather, however, moisture and snow or frost might accuinulate so rapidly as to interfere with clear vision between the strokes of the wiperif required to traverse the whole length of the windshield. Underl s uch circumstances the stops 69 may be moved inwardly fromthcI ends of the windshield to points bounding a relatively narrower portion immediately in front of the drivers position. When so postioned, the strokes of the wiper are shortened, whereby the same surface will', be wiped more frequently, thereby preventing any accumulation of frost, snow or the like, between strokes. `T he velocity of movement of the wiper may also be regulated by means of the throttle valve 45. It is believed that the operation of the' mechanism as a whole will be clear, iii view of the foregoing description which has been given in coniiecton with that of the construction of the same.

Although the preferred form of the invention llasbeen herein illustrated-and described, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of'tlie invention as defined by the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is 1 1. A reciprocating mechanism for a wind- Lshield cleaner, comprising a cylinder, a piston, andmeans including valved connections for moving said piston in opposite directions f in said cylinder, a guideway'extending along said cylinder in adjacent parallel relation therewith, a wiper carrier movable along y said guideway, movement transmitting means connecting said carrier with said piston whereby on movement of said piston a movement of translation will be imparted to said carrier, and valve operating mechanism engagcable by the movable part of said mechanism at a predetermined point in the movement of said carrier in either dirccton whereby the` motor connections may bc reversed, thereby effecting a reversal of the direction of movement of said piston and carrier, all parts of said mechanism being at all times confined within a space which exceeds the length of said cylinder by but relatively small fraction of its length.

2. A reciprocating mechanism for av Windshield cleaner, comprising a cylindera'piston, andlmeans including valvedconiiections` for moving said piston in opposite directions iin said cylinder, a guideway, a Wiperl carrier movable along said guideway, movement transmitting means' connecting said carrier with said piston whereby on movement of said piston a moveinentof translation will be imparted to `said carrier, and valve operating mechanism including a shifter bar ly- I ing along the guideway, said 'bar having stops extending into the path of movement of said carrier to be engaged thereby at opposite end s of its stroke, `whereby said bar Will be shifted and the motor connections `reversed.

3. A reciprocating mechanism as defined by claim 2 further characterized in having the stops on the shifterbarsettable at different positions-therealo'ng whereby the extent of movement of said carrier in either vshield cleaner, comprising va cylinder, a pisdirectio'n may be varied at lv'vill.

4. A reciprocating mechanism as defined I I by claim 1 further characterized ,that .the ,movement transmitting means Icomprises ilexible connectors extending from said piston in opposite directions, thenceV about guides at the 'ends of said ycylinder and guideway, and thence along said guideway to said carrier.

5. A reciprocating mechanism for a Windshield cleaner comprising, in combination, a traveling Wiper carrier, a guideway theref. for, and means for reciprocating said carrier along said guideivay, said reciprocating means comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, movement transmitting-means connecting said carrier with said piston, valved connectionsfrom the ends of said cylinder to sources of' fluid supply of different pressure. the valves of said connections being shiftable -to-l different positions whereby said connections may be interchanged, and means operated by said carrierat a predetermined point in its movement in either `direction for shifting` said" valves, thereby reversing the resultant pressure on said piston and causing it to move in the opposite direction, the cylinder, carrier guideway, movement trans-j mitting mechanism, valves andn valve shifting mechanism-being united-in a compact, self contained 'structurewith the guidi-.way

and cylinder in close side-by-side arrangement and provided with means for appl ,fing

signedmy name.

the device as aunitto a Windshield..

6. A device of the' character defined by claii'n, in which the movement transmitting means connecting the piston Withthe carrier comprises fluid tight pulley boxes sup orted at the ends of saidcylinder and gui eWay, pulleys mounted insaid boxes, and flexible bands carried from opposite ends of said piston,`to and about said pulleys and thence, through said guideway, to opposite sides of said carrier, said guideway havin-g stutling boxes at each `end thereof to prevent luid leakage at-tlie points where said bands enter from said pulley boxes.-

'i'. A device of the character defined by claim 5, having the vvalves grouped together in a :single valve block attached 'to the carrier guideway and in" which the valve shiftingmeans comprises valve .operating mechafnism mounted in said valve block, and a connected shifter bar in said guideway extending along thepathL of movement of said carrier and having stops to'be engaged thereby at predetermined points in its path -of movement.

8. A reciprocating inechanism'for a wind mately commensurate therewith .in length, a

Wiper carriermovable along .said guideway,

movement transmit-ting meansconnecting' said lcarrier with said piston 'whereby on movement of said piston from one end of said cylinder to the other a `movement of translation will be imparted to said carrier from one of its ends to the other, and valve operating mechanism engageable by said carrier at the end of its movement in either direction whereby the motor connections may be reversed, thereby effecting a reversal of the direction of movement of said p iston and carrier, all parts ofsaidmechanism being at all times confined` within a. space.

which exceeds the length of 'said' cylinder by but a relatively small fraction of its length. l

.9. The combination of claim 8 further characterized in that the various specified parts of ,the cleaner reciprocating mechaninas are united in a' compact self contained structureadaptedto be confined to a narrow space along one edge of the Windshield and provided with means for applying the de' vice as a unit thereto.

In Witness whereof, have hereunto f JOSEPH DEMAND. 

